Bryan Harsin New Texas Offensive Coordinator
by Peter Bean on Jan 7, 2011 4:23 PM CST
in Texas Longhorns Football
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Print[Update]: The hire is now official and announced by the university. As per reports throughout Thursday and Friday, Major Applewhite will be the co-OC, though Harsin will handle the play-calling duties. --GoBR--
Longhorns fans, welcome Bryan Harsin to the University of Texas family. After thirteen years of Greg Davis calling the plays, numerous outlets are now reporting that Harsin will be announced as Mack Brown's second offensive coordinator at Texas.
The 34-year old Harsin is a 10-year veteran of the Boise State Broncos staff. After serving as a graduate assistant in 2001 and tight ends coach from 2002-05, Harsin was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006 when then-offensive coordinator Chris Petersen was promoted to head coach. Since taking over as offensive coordinator, Harsin's Broncos offense has finished 2nd, 4th, 12th, 1st, and 2nd in the nation in points per game.
Harsin and Petersen have worked exceptionally well together to produce one of the nation's most versatile and productive offenses. For a fantastic primer on what Boise State does so well, and how they do it, you can't do much better than this superb article at Smart Football.
Boise specializes in getting defenses out of position to make plays by utilizing the three major essentials in offensive football: numbers, leverage and grass. "Numbers" means outnumbering the defense at the point of attack - i.e. more blockers than defenders on the edge, more receivers than zone defenders, etc. "Leverage" refers to out-flanking a defense at the point of attack - i.e. you may not have numbers but the angles are on your side. "Grass" harkens to Willie Keeler's baseball adage, "hit ‘em where they ain't." Run the ball where there are the fewest defenders. As it turned out, Choate was right: Boise spends more time on distracting you then developing themselves. But don't get confused: the point is that although the Broncos have the talent to be one of the best teams in the country and could simply overrun certain opponents, their modus operandi is to be patient and to take what the defense gives them - a true reflection of Petersen, their coach. The quintessential underdog philosophy, they wear you down by picking at four and five yard gains until they pop a big one. Watching them on film, it's never surprising they score, but to a football junkie, the methodology of how they score is a work of art.
If there is a concern, it's there towards the end of that paragraph: how much of Boise's success is a reflection of their head coach, Chris Petersen? There's no question that a great deal of Boise's success is owed to Petersen, but my instinct is that this should be of more comfort to Broncos fans than a source of concern for Longhorns fans.
As Recruitocosm ably puts it: "Some questions have arisen about whether or not Harsin is calling the shots or if it’s been HC Chris Petersen working the high plains smurf turf mojo. With Harsin being there so long I have no problem purchasing the BSU playbook and employing Harsin to implement it."
With Harsin filling the offensive coordinator spot, all that remains now is the offensive line coaching position, which still appears to be down to Wisconsin's Bob Bostad and Oklahoma State's Joe Wickline.
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I hope Harsin’s entrance to the press conference is GOB magic show style. With the same music.
I don't want NO PART of yo' tired ass country club, YA FREAK BITCH!
Good overview, PB. The Co-OC title works perfectly.
This will be a hybrid-offense. Bryan has a scheme but Major knows the talent. A real two-headed monster. Just terrific.
Take what the defense gives you.
While not enough to reverse the priapism that had its onset when I read that headline, that philosophy is not my favorite. I like the idea of attacking and adjusting if things aren’t working. Never liked the idea of waiting to see what the defense is doing before really attacking. Obviously, it worked for Boise St, so who am I to question the philosophy, but I’m hoping Harsin differs from Pertersen in that respect.
I don't want NO PART of yo' tired ass country club, YA FREAK BITCH!
Read the whole article
That phrase froze me cold when I read the article a few weeks ago, but after reading the whole thing, I felt much better about it. They don’t mean that phrase in the same way that GD did….
Yeah, there's a pretty large continuum of what that phrase can mean.
As implemented by Petersen/Harsin, it means extensive, exhaustive film study and game planning around your opponent’s weaknesses.
As implemented by GD, it means attempting a couple of poorly-designed bombs and then deciding that since they failed, the only thing that the “defense will give us” is poorly-blocked runs and no-blocked screens.
by bbatsell on Jan 7, 2011 4:49 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs
I agree
I took about 30 minutes today at work and read it off and on, made me love him as a higher.
Hook 'em
Reading it...
… I got the distinct impression that 2010’s disastrous re-tooling of the offense was GD’s feeble attempt to incorporate elements of the Boise system into his post-it note playbook. The power run / H-back sets seem like a very crude approximation, but without an understanding of the bigger picture of what the system is trying to accomplish, or the core skills that need to be developed at the position level to execute it.
My take is that we are upgrading at every coaching position, except perhaps defensive coordinator. And in that position, I’m not sure an upgrade was really possible. I think Mack was trying to limit any losses there by making a hire that was philosophically and culturally similar to Boom.
Matter of semantics
I read the article last night and understand what he meant by it. I guess I would put it differently. In that context, I would probably have used the phrase “attacking the weakness of the defense.” Plus, it seems like Harsin/Petersen are just way more adept at adjusting the defense’s tendencies and exploiting them than our old friend GD. I am excited about the potetial of seeing these schemes put in place with the level of players we have to implement them. I have faith that Harsin will develop Gilbert into the player that he should be and he’ll start earning his 5 stars next season.
I don't want NO PART of yo' tired ass country club, YA FREAK BITCH!
Knocking the coaching hires out of the park
Bama’s D-Line coach, DC from #3 scoring defense in the SEC, SEC S&C coach, Boise’s OC and Wisc OL coach possibly. Couldn’t be more thrilled.
by 40AS on Jan 7, 2011 4:52 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
And let's not forget a pretty solid WR coach as well!
Hopefully he can finally teach our receivers to both block and run to the chains!
Don't forget to catch the football first guys!
Having trouble with that lately.
I love what Boise does on offense.
They simply gameplan, and out number people. Its really simple stuff that should work even better for Texas because we have better players than 95% of the teams we play.
couldn't agree more
and the linked Smart Football article lays it out very well. This is a 21st Century offense… finally.
Simplicity is always the secret, to a profound truth, to doing things, to writing, to painting. Life is profound in its simplicity. - Charles Bukowski
by windycityhorn on Jan 7, 2011 5:07 PM CST up reply actions
Bob Shipley Text to Bobby Burton about the Harsin hiring: “I love that hire!!”
Yes sir Mr. Shipley, we do too.
Finally, the speculation is over
And I’m thrilled with the results, not just with OC but everything else. We may need another year to recover from that disaster last season, but it seems we’re building a pretty strong foundation. Hats off to Mack Brown for making patient and strong hires.
by TheElusiveShadow on Jan 7, 2011 5:12 PM CST reply actions
Let's paint our field Burnt Orange
And do cartwheels….I feel like we hit bottom and have made it through the detox period ready to move on up!!!
Hook ’em
And, good luck to the Ags tonight….Show that SEC conference that they are lucky they didn’t let you in the door!!!
Let's just changes the jerseys to green
See ya later, alligator.
by Paleface Horn on Jan 7, 2011 6:18 PM CST up reply actions
Make the secondary colors Burnt Orange and you'll have yourself a uniform.
But I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to see after you watch a game
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Manny Diaz is a man, but isn't 40.
Ladies and Gentlemen your new Texas Longhorns Jersey
And please all credit goes to Paleface Horn on this one
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Manny Diaz is a man, but isn't 40.
LOL. Better than PB MS Paint work. It's still terrible
It's a Horns' world. Even Aggies play hoops with a burnt orange ball.
It's the best I could do under such short notice
and with primative NCAA 11 Team Builder Technology
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Manny Diaz is a man, but isn't 40.
I figured that's how you did it - nice work
It's a Horns' world. Even Aggies play hoops with a burnt orange ball.
aw, shucks, it warn't nothin'
See ya later, alligator.
by Paleface Horn on Jan 8, 2011 5:34 PM CST up reply actions
Hah!
I’ll have to go buy some new shades.
All is not lost. We're still Texas and we still have female cheerleaders.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 7, 2011 7:13 PM CST up reply actions
This is the upside to having such a horrendous season.
Some much needed changes in coaching staff have taken place. Now the hard part: living up to some pretty high expectations.
Very excited about the upcoming season though. I may even make it out to Austin this year a couple of times and attend some home games.
by StanTheCaddy on Jan 7, 2011 5:17 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
if it took our god awful season
to get all the coaching upgrades and influx of flesh blood then in my opinion, it was all worth it.
i really think if we went something like 8-4 or 7-5 last yr, i fear that Mack would not have made these drastic moves as he did.
can’t wait to play ncaa football 2011 and choose “boise st.” as our offensive style now haha
not all the positions are filled...
…what about the ST coach? anybody know about that?
otherwise, i am so stoked for next year. cannot wait to see what the horns look like.
Stanford talking with Chris Petersen
I hope Harsin’s already signed. He could be the next HC if Petersen leaves Boise…
damn
this would change a lot… Peterson to Stanford would be scary with Luck still there
hopefully, harsin already accepted haha
It's official now (whew)
and hopefully Harsin can’t back out.
Or we’re paying him more than he’d make as HC at Boise
heard this too... I'll love it if Stanford gets Peterson before USC can
because Kiffen is not going to last much longer as HC there. They were already looking to replace the OC with TCU’s
Great moves
Really hope the OLine coach is a slam dunk like this too
by TowerPower on Jan 7, 2011 5:32 PM CST via mobile reply actions
I don't want to get my hopes up until i hear that it is official.
by LonghorninRaiderland on Jan 7, 2011 5:43 PM CST up reply actions
We wouldn’t get an announcement before Harsin arrives on the BSU campus and speaks to Petersen/his players, and that would be the absolute earliest. Since the Statesman and ESPN are reporting it, I think Bellmont will push a press release tonight, but it’s possible they’ll wait until tomorrow morning.
If Harsin’s plane lands and then immediately turns around without him on it, then we’ll have a problem.
that's my fear...
I would be considerably more upset about this report not being true.
by LonghorninRaiderland on Jan 7, 2011 6:01 PM CST up reply actions
HELL YES!!!
this was my first choice since mid-season… i can’t believe it haha
man i cannot wait to see the new revamped offense next year. lets kiss horizontal passes goodbye!
if we can get Bostad, it will be icing on the burnt orange cake…
Wrong Coach
You guys are crazy if you think that the Longhorns have the QB to run Boise State’s offense. Mack Brown is making a huge mistake by not handing the offense over to Major. You all will say he does not have the experience but that is a bunch of crap. He has paid his dues at Alabama and Texas that guy deserves to run the offense. Mack must have something against Major cause he has no trust in him. You can say he is Co-Off. Coord. but that is pretty much a slap in the face to Major saying your good but not that good! Look at how you want but Mack cant even trust one of his Alums to run the offense pretty damn sad if you ask me.
by Jeff Vandergrifft on Jan 7, 2011 6:03 PM CST reply actions
The gig 'em is strong with this one.
I’m going to enjoy Aggie getting rolled in a few minutes.
proud to swim home
Find players for the scheme you want, not the other way around
Yes, Boise’s offense requires a certain QBing skill, but we’ll figure out whether that’s GG or one of the other guys… we have plenty to choose from.
And clearly our chosen plan is to use both OCs minds, with Harsin as lead
Applewhite’s paying dues at QB doesn’t mean he’s ready to run an offense on his own. But we’ve given thanks already by scooping him up from Bama.
I'm sensing a bit of panic here
…and it’s not about tonight’s game, is it?
It’s a great move designed to retool our offense and to keep Major in the herd. And make little brother a little edgy just for kicks. A little motion should get your LB’s thinking a little bit more before each play.
All is not lost. We're still Texas and we still have female cheerleaders.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 7, 2011 6:58 PM CST up reply actions
way off
Ur way off buddy… just because Major has major longhorn ties does not automatically make him ready to be the OC. If anyone knows if Major is ready for that, Mack would know. Thus, there is a reason why he brought in Harsin.
I think a few more seasons and Major will be ready to go but not now.
Only time will tell but right now we have both of them so its a win win in my book.
o yeah
I told use guys this wood happen
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
I told ya Mack could do it.
See ya later, alligator.
I thought it was our covert threats
Are you not giving us any credit?
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Manny Diaz is a man, but isn't 40.
light brigade
you are a gentlman and scholar my friend
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Way on BUDDY
Harsin was an assisstant coach for 3 years before getting the offensive coordinator job at Boise State. Major has more experience than three years. Obvisously, Mack does not know as much as we think he does for us to not get into a bowl game this year. MIDDLE TENNESSE STATE played last night in a bowl game while we sat on the couch and watched them play. Harsin by the way is Chris Peterson’s puppet not a Offensive Coordinator!
by Jeff Vandergrifft on Jan 7, 2011 6:15 PM CST reply actions
Mack released a statement according to Leila Rahimi at KXAN
Bryan and Major working together gives us two of the best, young offensive minds in the country.
the man, the myth, the legend.
Twitter: @jyarbrough
it says he's the QB coach..
…and Major is still the RB’s coach. I don’t like this as much as I could.
It's a step up for Major
while Harsin will be coaching QB’s as he’s done for the last five years. You have to like Kellen Moore’s development. I’m not sure when/if Major last coached QB’s or Harsin coached RB’s. It’s a logical positioning and pretty clear that it’s designed to keep Major and put him on a career track here. We needed an experiencd QB coach to go along with the OC duties. What’s not to like?
All is not lost. We're still Texas and we still have female cheerleaders.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 7, 2011 7:28 PM CST up reply actions
it was discussed many places..
…that Harsin had experience coaching TE’s, and Chambers had success coaching RB’s. The thought would be to move Major to his natural position (QB), and the other two coaches to those postions
“Bryan and I had a chance to get together and talk football during his visit to Austin, and I felt like we connected immediately,” Applewhite said. “We talked about personnel, philosophies and getting the best out of this team. The bottom line is we both want to win. Obviously we’ve all seen what Boise State has done over the years, so I’m excited to get with him, put our ideas together and develop a successful plan here.”
This is awesome…
How bout a Bubble Screen for negative yardage
for old times sake?
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Manny Diaz is a man, but isn't 40.
It might actually go for positive yardage
since it won’t be the most complex play in the playbook.
All is not lost. We're still Texas and we still have female cheerleaders.
by SpiritOfTheFedora on Jan 7, 2011 7:04 PM CST up reply actions
We're Texas
we don’t need blocking to run screens
If you're so sure of what it ain't, how about telling us what it am!
Brown should tell Harsin not to worry about those plays.
We definitely have those screens down, at least the ones going east to west.
What we have here is a failure to execute.
by dimecoverage on Jan 7, 2011 11:12 PM CST up reply actions
I think my entire section would keel over dead. Right there. Dead.
There is not a situation or individual that cannot be improved by the addition of chocolate.
I hate that play
sorry it just bothers me. I think it was Tom Brady
Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Manny Diaz is a man, but isn't 40.
Shipley and Brown have to be ecstatic...
I am glad we got all of the hires out of the way by the end the first week of January. With the National Championship on Monday, there is no way I would want commits to be sitting out there scratching their head when other programs come knocking. There is no way an offensive kid can’t think having a BSU-style offense won’t be incredible. Conversely, there is no way a defensive talent out of HS wouldn’t think a DC out of the SEC won’t add some grittiness to their overall game!
Kudos to Brown for keeping the spotlight on the Texas Longhorns football team this time of the year despite not being in a bowl!
"This city always smells like meat." -- Jimmy Kimmel on the city of Houston
so stoked
I cant wait to see our new offense!!!
hopefully...
we can average more than 20 pts this yr!
Incredibly excited about the hire..
I cannot believe we actually landed Harsin! Also, does anyone know how good a recruiter he is? A lot has been made of how he only had three star players to deal with, but getting good recruits to keep coming in is obviously critical to keep us moving.
45-35!
new blood
I do have some reservations and trepidations about all the seemingly “young” staff additions, maybe it’s time some new blood was inserted into the program. It certainly won’t hurt to have a fresher viewpoint about offensive and defensive schemes, and these new guys certainly seem progressive. Nonetheless, I fear next year won’t be much better than last because it takes time to implement new approaches and, to an extent, bring in the type players that fit into a particular coach’s overall plan. But with the sheer talent that Texas can bring in each and every year, that shouldn’t be a big problem. Hopefully we’ll have a running game to provide more balance. Here’s to hoping that our 5-star recruit is all that he’s purported to be.
Harsin and Major will be co-offensive coordinators
Really looking forward to the innovation we’ll see in our offense with these young guys.
by goingforthecorner on Jan 8, 2011 2:41 AM CST reply actions
Did anyone else notice?
Both were QB’s, both wore number 11, and one is left handed while the other is right handed?
Harsin Over Chryst
I’m much more excited about Harsin over Chryst. While Chryst is a good teacher, Harsin is a better play caller. While we do need better teaching, play calling wins the big games.
The slow wave is our best weapon.
I think UT football will be more entertaining under Harsin
than it would’ve been under Chryst.
See ya later, alligator.
by Paleface Horn on Jan 8, 2011 5:38 PM CST up reply actions
Thank you, coach Haywood.
See ya later, alligator.
by Paleface Horn on Jan 8, 2011 5:38 PM CST up reply actions
Thank you, coach Haywood.
See ya later, alligator.
by Paleface Horn on Jan 8, 2011 5:38 PM CST up reply actions
Thank you, Coach Haywood.
JK. I don’’t know why it posted twice the first time. Oh, I just remembered. It’s cuz I’m an idiot.
See ya later, alligator.
by Paleface Horn on Jan 10, 2011 8:51 AM CST up reply actions
expectations 2011 and 2012
with all the hype surrounding these hires it might be easy to get caught in the trap of high expectations once again. Personally, I don’t think the effect of these hires will not show up in full force until 2012. It will take some time to fully implement the offensive scheme.
Congratulations!
You got a great O.C. in Bryan Harsin. I am a long time Bronco fan, so it is hard to see him leave. Our fan base was surprised that we kept him this long. I will be watching a few more Texas games this coming year.
A no brainer...
Harsin was in at the birth and development of BSU’s offense – a truly innovative intellect. I have now officially given up on my Rice Owls beating Texas for another decade or so…but plan to watch as many Texas games as possible.
While we mourn losing him up here in Boise, its a great thing to see him take the next step.
Beat the Sooners…please.
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